Abby is 10 weeks old now and will only sleep on her stomach. I know this is a big no-no when it comes to SIDs risk. Is it really that dangerous to let her sleep that way? I know they make monitors for the baby, but do they make a difference?

Dan

It is a big deal. It's my understanding it's because they don't have the muscle strength or control to move themselves if they were to get in a position where they are sleeping on their face, essentially suffocating themselves.

I wouldn't do it unless I'm RIGHT THERE the entire time (not sleeping). But I'm fairly paranoid too.

TheBoy sleeps with us often (he's 2 now), and sometimes "snuggles in" face first into one of us, or one of the big pillows... I don't worry about him, because I've watched him smush his face into the pillow, only to flinch and flop 10 seconds later because he can't breath, and reposition himself so he can.

It used to freak me out, but I know now that he has the body control to NOT suffocate himself.

This is definitely one for the pediatrician. I would say that if you have a baby that is turning over and stomach sleeping, make absolutely sure that the crib is clear of all pillows and stuffed animals and the like. A good, new mattress is a good idea.

There are some sophisticated monitors on the market that include an alarm to stimulate the baby if he or she stops breathing regularly.

I think this is one that you do your best, but you can't always win. You can't monitor your baby's sleep position 24/7.

We let our daughter sleep on her stomach for her entire infancy, and we are not afraid to admit it.

She's 3 now, and I no longer have control over her sleeping positions.

We just don't buy into all the sleeping position paranoia. SIDS is exceptionally rare, and I liken the difference between sleeping on the back and sleeping on the front to the difference between buying one lottery ticket and two lottery tickets.

I would rather know that my daughter is sleeping well and getting good rest and her mind is developing in a healthy way during that restful sleep.

I buy two lottery tickets. I'm not ashamed to admit it.

Some statistics to back up my assertion that the SIDS "movement" is a special interest lobbying group that sets out to scare parents....

From the sidscenter.org website: The final infant mortality rate in the United States for 2005 was 6.87 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the third leading cause of infant death for 2005 and the first leading cause of death among infants ages 1–12 months. A total of 2,230 SIDS deaths occurred in 2005.

That scary statistic makes it sound like 6.8 / 1000 infants die from SIDS doesn't it? You better listen to them!! Guess what? That's exactly the way they intended to mislead you. In reality, 6.8 out of ALL infants die for SOME REASON - not necessarily SIDS.

If you actually dig into their source data, you can see that in 2005, infants were 14 times more likely to die of a cause that was NOT SIDS. (actual rate is 0.5 / 1,000). Isn't it funny how you can twist statistics for your own special interest?

Later on in the website, I see that since our family is White, the statistics for us are actually 55.4 / 100,000. Another interesting statistical trick they used here - change the scale to make it look worse. If we stuck with the original scale, the rate for our family would be .554 / 1,000 - or if we are really being honest - 1 / 2,000. Too bad our family is not Hispanic, because that would improve our odds even further to roughly 1 / 4,000.

Now, on a US Gov't webpage (www.nichd.nih.gov/sids/), the fearful parent is instructed that: the overall SIDS rates have declined by more than 50 percent since starting their highly effective back to sleep campaign (hey - it's gotta be a highly effective program if it's going to get funded for the next fiscal year! Everybody in DC knows that!).

OK, so let's see about those statistics then...If I put my white child on her back, then the statistical odds of SIDS will be reduced from .05% to .025%. Hmmm... But the child will not sleep as well, she won't get the rest she needs for her health. Funny how they don't mention that?

They also claim that since they started their "back to sleep" campaign that: The U.S. SIDS rate has declined significantly since the Back-to-Sleep Campaign was launched in 1994.

Hmmm...that's funny because it looks to me that SIDS rates have been declining in a steady, monotonic way since 1983. And I seem to remember that kids slept on their stomach in the 80's. And yet still the SIDS rates were declining...How can that be!?!?

Could it be that sleeping on the back has absolutely no causal relationship to SIDS rates??

Tell me again folks....

What are the odds of dying in a car crash when I drive my kid to daycare in the morning??

@sean

I love the way you go after conventional wisdom. I think you would like "Nurtureshock" because those guys go after all the sacred cows of contemporary parenting in a way that is methodical and data-based.

I always find it hard to go agains the AAP, but by our third child, we were definitely taking a flexible stance on this issue.

That may be the nicest thing anyone has said to me this year

A little controversy is good for the page views, too, don't you think?

Our baby refuses to sleep in any other configuration than on his stomach . . . we finally gave up fighting a couple of weeks ago. I agree that although it increases the risk the over all chance remains low. (Twice almost nothing is still almost nothing.) What's really funny is even though no medical professional will risk the liability of saying as much, we've had a few strongly hint that it's not that big a deal. Bottom line is that no one knows what causes SIDS, all we know ways to minimize an already minimal risk.

Interesting analysis.

Two other morsels for thought.

I carried both kids sleeping in my sling, at crumpled as cramped as could be with no problem. They'll adjust if they need air.

And one for the preventative side...
I read somewhere that simply putting a fan (either floor or ceiling ) in the baby's sleeping room will reduce the risk of SIDS.